Roku, Inc.

Brian Patrick Jentz

Steven Michael Cormie

Stefanos Christakis Liassides

Alejandro Gutierrez

Shashank C Merchant

John L Haynes, Iii

John E Sormark

In a communication system where a channel teed carrying a media stream is broadcast for delivery of the media stream to a media client, where the channel feed further includes metadata in-band and correlated with a content frame of the media stream, but where the metadata gets removed from the channel feed before the media stream reaches the media client, a computing system (i) extracts the metadata from the channel feed and (ii) transmits out-of-band to the media client the extracted metadata in correlation with reference fingerprint data representing the frame of the media stream, the correlation being useable by the media client as a basis to re-correlate the metadata with the frame of the media stream, so as to enable the media client to carry out an action, such as dynamic ad insertion, based on the correlation of the metadata with the frame of the media stream.

Method and system for re-uniting metadata with media-stream content at a media client, to facilitate action by the media client

A method and system for controlling dynamic ad replacement. An example method involves a computing system detecting that first and second ad-replacement platforms are or will be in contention with each other for replacement of a replaceable ad in a media stream and, responsive to at least the detecting, the computing system (i) deciding that the first ad-replacement platform should replace the replaceable ad and that the second ad-replacement platform should not replace the replaceable ad, and (ii) based on the deciding, causing the first ad-replacement platform to replace the replaceable ad and the second ad-replacement platform to not replace the replaceable ad.

Centralized mediation between ad-replacement platforms

In one aspect, a method includes determining that a content-presentation device is scheduled to receive a content segment on a channel to which the content-presentation device is tuned. The method also includes receiving linear content campaign data associated with the content segment, where the linear content campaign data specifies a frequency cap that defines a minimum number of times the content-presentation device is to present the content segment before the content-presentation device is permitted to perform a content-modification operation relative to the content segment. The method also includes determining that the content-presentation device has met or exceeded the frequency cap, and responsively (i) storing in memory an indication that the content segment is a modifiable content-segment relative to which the content-presentation device is permitted to perform a content-modification operation, and (ii) performing an action to facilitate the content-presentation device performing a content-modification operation relative to the content segment.

Content-modification system with content segment frequency feature

As a media client receives a media stream for presentation, the media client could receive, in-band with the media stream, metadata identifying the media stream, such as a media-stream identifier encoded as a watermark in the media stream or carried together with the media stream in a packet-based transport stream, among other possibilities. And while the media client is processing the media stream for presentation, the media client could then convey the received metadata out-of-band to a server to enable the server to readily obtain reference fingerprints representing the media stream and to thereby facilitate, based on the reference fingerprints, a content-related action such as dynamic content modification for instance.

Use of in-band metadata as basis to access reference fingerprints to facilitate content-related action

In one aspect, a method includes identifying a group of multiple content-presentation devices that are tuned to the same channel and that are each scheduled to perform, at a modification start-time, a respective content-modification operation that comprises modifying a modifiable content-segment in connection with an upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel. The method also includes determining that, after the modification start-time, at least a subgroup of the group of content-presentation devices have detected a mismatch between reference fingerprint data representing the modifiable content-segment and query fingerprint data representing content received by at least the subgroup of content-presentation devices. The method also includes determining that at least the subgroup of content-presentation devices are connected to tuner devices associated with the same content distributor and, in response to determining that at least the subgroup of content-presentation devices are connected to tuner devices associated with the same content distributor, performing an action.

Content-modification system with feature for detecting and responding to content modifications by tuner devices

A method and system to help control when to monitor for presence of replaceable advertisements in a media stream. An example method includes determining a time offset based at least on a difference between (i) a time of occurrence of a content event in a media stream as indicated by data carried in-band with the media stream and (ii) a time of occurrence of the content event in the media stream as indicated by schedule data that is not carried in-band with the media stream. Further, the method includes applying the determined time offset as a basis to adjust a scheduled time of an advertisement in the media stream, and using the adjusted scheduled time of the advertisement in the media stream as a basis to control when to monitor for presence of a replacement advertisement in the media stream.

Use of in-band data to correct schedule drift

In a communication system where a channel feed carrying a media stream is broadcast for delivery of the media stream to a media client, where the channel feed further includes metadata in-band and correlated with a content frame of the media stream, but where the metadata gets removed from the channel feed before the media stream reaches the media client, a computing system (i) extracts the metadata from the channel feed and (ii) transmits out-of-band to the media client the extracted metadata in correlation with reference fingerprint data representing the frame of the media stream, the correlation being useable by the media client as a basis to re-correlate the metadata with the frame of the media stream, so as to enable the media client to carry out an action, such as dynamic ad insertion, based on the correlation of the metadata with the frame of the media stream.

In one aspect, a method includes receiving a first request for first supplemental content for use by a content-presentation device in performing a first content-modification operation, receiving a second request for second supplemental content for use by a tuner device in performing a second content-modification operation. The method also includes determining that the content-presentation device is connected to the tuner device, and based at least in part on the first and second requests, determining that the first and second requests are associated with the same modifiable content-segment, and, in response to the determinations, using one or more parameters as a basis to select for performance an action from a set of actions including a first action that facilitates performance of the first content-modification operation and a second action that facilitates performance of the second content-modification operation.

Content-modification system with feature for managing multiple content-modification requests

In one aspect, a method is performed by a computing system that is in communication with a content-presentation device, where the content-presentation device is scheduled to perform, at a modification start-time, a content-modification operation that comprises modifying a modifiable content-segment that the content-presentation device is scheduled to receive. The method includes determining that the content-presentation device has detected, within a predefined time period after the modification start-time and during performance of the content-modification operation, a mismatch between reference fingerprint data representing the modifiable content-segment and query fingerprint data representing content received by the content-presentation device from a tuner device connected to the content-presentation device. The method also includes determining that the mismatch is due to the tuner device having modified the modifiable content-segment before the modification start-time and, in response to determining that the mismatch is due to the tuner device having modified the modifiable content-segment before the modification start-time, performing an action.

Content-modification system with feature for detecting and responding to a content modification by a tuner device

In one aspect, a method is performed by a content-presentation device that is scheduled to perform, at a modification start-time, a content-modification operation that comprises modifying a modifiable content-segment that the content-presentation device is scheduled to receive. The method includes receiving reference fingerprint data representing the modifiable content-segment. The method also includes making a comparison of the reference fingerprint data with query fingerprint data representing content received by the content-presentation device from a tuner device connected to the content-presentation device. The method also includes based on the comparison, detecting, within a predefined time period after the modification start-time and during performance of the content-modification operation, a mismatch between the reference fingerprint data and the query fingerprint data. The method also includes in response to detecting the mismatch within the predefined time period after the modification start-time and during performance of the content-modification operation, performing an action.

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Buxton, United Kingdom

Brian Patrick Jentz